Auxiliary device for telegraph keys



Mar. 27, 1923. 1,449,985.

r J 1 GHEGAN I AUXILIARY DEVICE FOR TELEGRAPH KEYS.

FILED JULY 10,1919

. ATTORNEY ill Patented Mar. 27, 1923.

JOHN JOSEPH GHEGAN, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

AUXILIARY DEVICE FOR TELEGRAPH KEYS.

Application filed July 10, 1919.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN JOSEPH GHEGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, Essex County, New Jersey, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Auxiliary Devices for Telegraph Keys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an auxiliary device for electrically connecting a Morse telegraph key, used for manually transmitting code signals, like the Morse alphabet, and a second semi-automatic transmitting device the use of which affords increased speed in transmitting with greatly decreased physi cal fatigue. This latter transmitter is called an autodot.

The telegraph corporation employs thousands of Morse keys, each securely fastened to its desk or table in close proximity to other instruments used in sending and re eeiving messages. There are two or more different patterns of these Morse keys; the most popular and most widely employed is the legless key; this key has a cast brass base and lugs, which form bearings for the trunnion bearings of the arbor bearing the key lever. In addition the base carries an insulated vertically projecting screw post to receive one terminal of the divided circuit, and a second similar terminal post to which the circuit closing switch is attached. Both of these projections are fixed in position in close proximity to the two lugs, respectively. The insulated post is permanently, electrically connected to the down contact of the key by a metal strap, horizontal and parallel with the base. The manually operated circuit closing switch when in closed circuit position slips in between strap and base electrically connecting them to cut out the circuit breaking points. All this is old and well known.

l/Vhen an operator comes on duty he brings with him his own autodot and connects it in parallel with the Morse key. This has been done heretofore by putting a wedge, having two contact surfaces, insulated from each other and forming the two terminals of his autodot between the strap and the base of the Morse key; the wedge laid flat, parallel with the table-top and key base; the key switch when opened transferred the transmitting function to the autodot. The great trouble with this is, and always has been, that the wedge became easily displaced and Serial No. 309,844.

device being cheap, immediately applicable I to any key and effective to retain its position during use.

Such an auxiliary device is provided by this invention and consists of a brass strip of sheet metal located vertically, having flanges on its opposite edges, and aterminal, circular in interior outline, adapting it to take its seat on the insulated projection or screw post and hold the device in vertical position, parallel to a lug, as described, and in such close proximity to said lug that a wedge having two parallel, insulated flat contacts, when inserted in the space between the auxiliary contact device and lug would make electrical and mechanical contact with both, while the flanges on the contact device would hold the wedge against lateral dis placement. This wedge is connected, preferably by a flexible cord, to the terminals of the autodot. There is a sheet of insulating material on the bottom of the auxiliary contact device suitably held in position on said contact. A set screw is used to hold the contact device on the insulated binding post. Chic contact surface of the wedge is in electrical contact with the device and through the device with the insulated binding post, the other contact surface of the wedge is in electrical contact with the lug forming the uninsulated terminal of the key. The key and the autodot are thus connected in parallel; when the key switch is opened the key branch is open and the autodot is in full control.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a Morse key to which the contact device is applied, with a wedge and a flexible cord connecting it with the terminals of an autodot; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the contact device; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of said device, and Fig. 4; is a top view of said device, showing the insulating material on the bottom thereof.

A Morse telegraph transmitt ng key It" of the legless type has an insulated binding post 7). Post 29 is connected by a metal strap 11 with the down contact 10 of the key; the circuit closer 12 connects, electrically, this down contact 10 with the key base I). The flexible cord 0 is connected with the terminals 13 wedge 10; the lower end 0t thedevieed carries a sheet of insulating material a and is' bent at, right angles as 'shownin Fig. 2 to make an extended cont-act surtace and .tend to retain itin position when the opening 0 is placed'over the projection 79, and there.

is a set screw s adapted to hold it'in position on post 7). "Instead of, bending the sheet brass I consider it an equivalent construction to employ a section of brass pipe to which the verticalportion of the device cl is firmly attached, this la tterconstruction give-s greater mechanical stability and in some :espects is to be preferred. WVhen' the contact device is in position wedge w is forced inbetween the resilient, free contact suriace'ot device d and the ad1acent lug m integral with the key base Z); the, circuit then passes from one divide-d terminal of the circuit through the insulated post 1), through cont-act device (Z, contact l5 of wedge w to terminal post 13 0i the autodot, through said autodot t,=through,terminal 1a of autodot t, to contact-16 ot' the wedge and to the lug m, which tornzs the uninsulated. terminal ot key in. Key switch 1.2 is opened to place the transmitter z, the autodot, in circuit.

I consider it a strong feature otmerit that the wedge w is out of the way on the table. and that the contact device retains the wedge in position unless special eliort be made" to displace it. The operator on changing his position from one desk to another, joron leavinghis term of duty, can withdraw the wedge w p and the contact device (Z and carry both contact device and autodot away with him.

What'l claim is? H 1. An auxiliary conne 'tingvdevicefor a Morse key, embodying a holding plateprovided. at its lateral edges with upstanding flanges, means associ'atedwiththe holding plate for mounting the same upon the insulated binding post of a Morse key, with the plate intermediate the binding post and one of the-fixed grounded lugs of the base, said plate being inclined in a direction away from the lug, in combination with a wedge embodying ,two contacts insulated from one another and forming the sides of the wedge. and adapted to constitute the terminals of wire leads. said wedge being adapted to be thrust downwardly between the plate and the lug and into wedging engagement with both parts, and being held against tilting by the flanges of said plate.

2. An auxiliary connecting device for a Morse key, embodying an upwardly inclined holding plate detachably', supported on'the insulated binding post of the Morse key, with the'plate positioned intermediate the binding post and one of the lugs of the base vof said key, in combination with awedge adapted to be forced downwardly between insulated binding post of a Morse key, with the plate positioned between the post and oneot the lugs of the base, an autodot, a wedge member embodying a pair of converging metallic contacts insulated from one another, and'wi'res connecting said metallic contacts with the autodot, whereby the wedge member is adapted to be forced into the space between the holding plate and the lug and to come into .wedging engagement with said parts tor the purpose of onerat-ively associating the autodot with the Morse key. i

4. An auxiliary connecting device for a Morse key. embodying a holding plate adapted to be resiliently supported in upstanding relation on the insulated binding post of a-Morse key to partake of a position between thebinding post and one ot'the base lugs of such key. whereby a conne tor for an autodot may be wedged between the holdin? plate and the lug.

5. An auxiliary connecting device for a Morse key. embodying a holding plate adapted to be resiliently supported in upstanding relation on the insulated binding nost'o-t a- Morse key to partake of a position between the binding post and one of the base lugs of such key, in combination with a wedge member embodying two diverging spring contacts insulated from one another,

which wedge member is adapted to be wedged between the holding plate and the inn. and flanges formed at the lateral edges of the holding plate and adapted to grip the lateral edges of the wedge member for precluding tilting oi the I wedge.

JOHN JOSEPH enneanq 

